LOT 0138

Roman Bronze Statue Plinth with Inscription for Emperor Valerian

253-260 A.D.

5 in. (1.04 kg, 12.8 cm).

Hollow rectangular plinth with everted basal rim; hastily incised, five-line Greek inscription on one side: 'Αυτοκρατορα Και/σαρα Π Λικ/Ουαλεριανον ευσεβ/ευτυχη Σεβ 50-Ν-50 (?)/ρανιωτων η κωμ(ι)τ' (translated as 'To the Imperator Caesar P(ublius) Licinius Valerianus, pious and good-fortuned Augustus ... the village of the Raniotes'.

with Hirsch Auction 246, 19-20 September 2006, no.838.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13547-263147.

Cf. a corresponding inscription for Valerian in Latin in CIL 11.826; cf. also an inscription on a statue base of the Emperor Valerian the young (256-258 A.D.) in Sharankov, N., ‘Five Official Inscriptions from Heraclea Sintica Including a Record of the complete cursus honorum of D.Terentius Gentianus’ in Archaeologia Bulgarica, XXV,3 (2021), 1-43, fig.20.

Probably the base of a statuette of the Roman Emperor Publius Licinius Valerianus (r. 253–260 A.D.), presumably used by devotees of the imperial cult. Marks made by the standing statuette are still visible on top of the plinth. An important document from the time of Valerian, who is also known for having persecuted the Christians. Similar inscriptions set up, for instance by cities, municipalities and other local communities indicating their loyalty, must be seen in this context.